From reggae legend Bob Marley to country star Toby Keith, these artists showed incredible dedication to their craft and fans, continuing to perform despite terminal diagnoses. Join us as we honor these brave musicians who gave their final performances while battling serious illnesses.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at artists who continued performing live while
00:11knowing how close they were to the end.
00:14Bob Marley
00:21An icon not just of reggae, but also of Jamaica as a whole. Bob Marley's music and message
00:27continued to resonate more than 40 years after his death.
00:30To make everything come true, we got to be together.
00:34In 1977, the musician was diagnosed with melanoma under his right big toe nail. Though his doctors
00:41advised amputation, he refused.
00:43He loved football, so I think the thought of having his toe amputated was just unacceptable to him.
00:51He continued performing around the world. In September 1980, he collapsed during a jog in
00:57Central Park, later learning his cancer had spread. His final concert was two days later
01:02in Pittsburgh. The remainder of the tour was canceled, and he sought alternative medicine
01:06treatments for his illness. He passed away on May 11, 1981, at age 36.
01:12He did it. He did it. And that was the last time we perform on stage together.
01:20Eva Cassidy
01:21Renowned for her remarkable soprano voice, Eva Cassidy's fame grew considerably in the years
01:27following her tragically short life.
01:29The sun's gonna trouble the world.
01:32In 1993, a malignant mole was removed from Cassidy's back. Three years later,
01:37she experienced an intense, prolonged pain in her hip. She then learned that her cancer had spread
01:43to her lungs and bones.
01:45In her death, she's become even more famous, and people just love her voice.
01:49Cassidy's final public appearance was that year, at a benefit concert in her honor,
01:54at the Bayou in Washington, D.C., which she closed with an emotional rendition
01:59of What a Wonderful World. She died on November 2, 1996, at age 33.
02:05What a wonderful world.
02:11Gord Downie
02:12As frontman and lyricist of the tragically hip, Gord Downie was true Canadian music royalty.
02:18That night in Toronto, well, let's check it for four.
02:23Though his Canada-centric songwriting might have limited their appeal outside of their home country,
02:28that didn't really matter, given how adored they were there. When news broke in 2016 that
02:34Downie had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, fans were devastated.
02:38It's my difficult duty today to tell you that Gord Downie's brain tumor is incurable.
02:43But the band continued touring, with their final tour chronicled in the documentary
02:48Long Time Running. Due to memory issues from his illness,
02:51Downie had to use multiple teleprompters during the band's final shows.
02:55I come from downtown!
02:59Their last concert was held on August 20, 2016, and simulcast live to millions.
03:05Downie also performed some solo concerts afterward, before passing away on October 17,
03:112017, at the age of 53.
03:14Now dress rehearsal, this is our life!
03:22Jimmy Buffett
03:23Jimmy Buffett's music is imbued with a carefree,
03:26good vibe spirit, and one that's provided comfort to many during times of sadness and stress.
03:37Though Buffett died following a four-year battle with Merkel cell carcinoma,
03:41a rare skin cancer, he continued performing and touring steadily during those years.
03:46Merkel cells, the least common of these more aggressive or malignant cancers,
03:50they're diagnosed probably 3,000, 3,500 cases a year, so not a very common skin cancer.
03:55He didn't disclose his illness, but he did have to cancel some shows due to health issues.
04:01His final performance was an impromptu concert on June 2, 2023, at Sunset Cove,
04:07a restaurant in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. He passed away on September 1, 2023, at age 76.
04:14What a moment. What a life.
04:17Greg Ullman. In some ways, it's remarkable that Greg Ullman lived for as long as he did.
04:22I'll be strong to just stand my cross to bear.
04:29The founding member of the Ullman Brothers band's life was complicated by his substance
04:33use disorder, particularly alcohol.
04:36I went through a long period of my life of drinking. I mean, serious drinking.
04:43In 2007, Ullman was diagnosed with hepatitis C. The following year, tumors were found in his liver,
04:50requiring a transplant. However, he was diagnosed with liver cancer just two years later in 2012.
04:57Though Ullman was told he had between 12 and 18 months left, he lived for longer than predicted
05:03and continued recording and performing.
05:05His final performance was on October 29, 2016, in Atlanta, as part of the Laid Back Festival.
05:18He passed away on May 27, 2017, at age 69.
05:23Toby Keith.
05:24With hits spanning the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s, Toby Keith was a true country music legend.
05:31Let's solo cup, I fill you up, let's have a party.
05:38In June 2022, Keith broke news of his stomach cancer diagnosis at the end of the previous year.
05:45Though he understandably didn't perform very much in his final years,
05:49the times he did were very poignant.
05:51Here many moons I have lived
05:54His final TV performance was at the inaugural People's Choice Country Awards at the Grand Old
05:59Opry, where he was also honored with the Country Icon Award. In December 2023, Keith played three
06:06sold-out concerts at Las Vegas' Dolby Live at Park MGM. He passed away on February 5,
06:122024, at age 62.
06:15"'Don't let the old man in.'"
06:18Tammy Terrell
06:19Best known for her incredible duets with Marvin Gaye, young vocalist Tammy Terrell seemed poised
06:25for decades of musical success.
06:27"'Cause baby, there ain't no mountain high enough.'"
06:32This became far less certain in 1967, when she collapsed into Gaye's arms during a concert. Though she
06:39was initially diagnosed with exhaustion, it was later revealed to be something far more serious,
06:45a brain tumor. She continued performing while also undergoing numerous surgeries in hopes
06:50of saving her life.
06:51"'My love is alive, only down in my heart, although we are miles apart.'"
06:57Sadly, Terrell's health troubles persisted, and by 1969, she had to stop performing for good.
07:04She died on March 16, 1970, at age 24.
07:07"'There ain't no river wide enough to keep me from getting to you.'"
07:13"'To you.'"
07:14"'To you.'"
07:15Warren Zevon
07:16One of the most idiosyncratic songwriters of his era, Warren Zevon's lyrics were as rich
07:22in detail as they were in hearts and humor.
07:25"'I who well was abundant.'"
07:28In August 2002, the beloved artist announced he had been diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare
07:35cancer associated with exposure to asbestos. A regular guest on David Letterman's talk shows,
07:40Zevon's final performance in public appearance was on The Late Show.
07:44"'Hoist the mainsail, here I come.'"
07:48This was not just the performance of a single song. Rather, practically, the whole show was an ode to
07:55Zevon, who performed three songs and was interviewed, delivering this timeless advice.
08:00"'You're reminded to enjoy every sandwich.'"
08:02Zevon passed away on September 7, 2003, at age 56.
08:08Aretha Franklin
08:09The undisputed queen of soul, Aretha Franklin was still performing up until the very end.
08:14"'Before the day I met you, life was so unkind.'"
08:21While time had taken somewhat of a toll on her powerhouse vocals,
08:25she was still able to wow a crowd.
08:27"'You can't reach me, baby, what a fuck.'"
08:30However, medical issues required her to cancel shows at various points over the years. For years,
08:36there had been speculation that she had been fighting pancreatic cancer, which her family
08:41confirmed upon her passing. Her final performance, on November 17, 2017, at Elton John's yearly AIDS
08:48Foundation Gala, was described by John himself as phenomenal, though Franklin was visibly unwell.
08:54She still managed to pull off a jaw-dropping curtain call.
08:57"'You hear great singers perform often, but it's, uh, I'd call it soul-piercing,
09:03because you really feel it all the way down to your soul.'"
09:05Franklin passed away on August 16, 2018, at age 76.
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09:27Glen Campbell In 2011, just a few months after announcing
09:31he would be embarking on a final goodbye tour. Country music icon Glen Campbell broke the news
09:36of his diagnosis with Alzheimer's disease.
09:38"'This indicates that in all likelihood, your difficulties are due to Alzheimer's disease.'"
09:44Despite this, he continued on with his tour, performing with a band made up of family members
09:49and delivering shows overflowing with emotional resonance.
09:52"'I hear you singing in the wire.'"
09:56While Campbell had some performance difficulties, his voice was still in great shape. The tour lasted
10:02over a year, beginning in Toronto and ending in Napa, with 148 concerts performed.
10:08"'I'm still here, but yet I'm gone.'"
10:13Campbell passed away on August 8, 2017, at age 81.
10:18"'I'm not gonna miss you.'"
10:20Have you ever seen an artist perform live when they knew they were dying? Let us know in the comments.
10:26"'I'm not gonna miss you.'"